California Dept. of Fish and Game Photo
Water, or more aptly the lack of water, is the defining characteristic of deserts and is a core theme of much of the ongoing research at Mojave National Preserve. Follow this link to springs and wetlands related research.
The photo at left is a small spring fed by a limestone aquifer at the edge of Soda Dry Lake that was the sole refuge of the Mohave tui chub (Siphatales bicolor mohavensis), the only fish native to the Mojave River.